G.O.P. Zeroes In on a Democrat It Sees as a Fluke Winner

Congressman Zack Space at the Muskingum County Fair in Zanesville, OH.
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Kevin Fitzsimons for The New York Times

ZANESVILLE, Ohio — Rushing between campaign events at the Muskingum County Fair, Zack Space trotted to a secluded picnic table, sat down, and shoveled forkfuls of grilled chicken into his mouth.

“The election isn’t until next year, but I’m already working my butt off,” said Mr. Space, the Democratic congressman who was elected last November after his Republican predecessor, Bob Ney, pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from the lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Seven months into his freshman term, Mr. Space is under siege from the Republican Party, which declared his defeat one of its top goals for 2008.

“We will do what it takes to win back a seat that we believe is rightfully ours,” said Ken Spain, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

The strange circumstances of the last campaign, with Mr. Space’s Republican opponent, State Senator Joy Padgett, winning the nomination in a special primary just weeks before the election, have Republicans spoiling for a rematch. “Zack Space is the accidental congressman,” Mr. Spain said.

Talking at the fair, many voters said they were preparing for one of the longest and most brutal Congressional campaigns they have ever seen. “The national Republican Party is going to dump a whole lot of money into this district,” said Lynn Elliott, 59, a Republican and a dairy farmer.

Both parties see Mr. Space’s seat as an important prize. The 18th Congressional District, which Mr. Space represents, is Republican territory; President Bush received 57 percent of the vote here in 2004. Winning the seat is essential for Republicans to regain control of the House next year, said David Cohen, a political science professor at the University of Akron.

For Democrats, re-electing Mr. Space would vindicate the strategy of pushing beyond traditional Democratic strongholds in the Northeast and the West to become competitive in states like Ohio.

Over Memorial Day weekend, the Republican campaign committee placed automated phone calls to voters in the district, saying Mr. Space had voted for one of the largest tax increases in history. By June, four Republicans had announced campaigns to unseat him. In August, Republicans ran television advertisements criticizing Mr. Space’s vote to provide public health insurance for children and radio advertisements accusing him of being out of step with voters in his district.

“I understood going into it that this would be an early campaign season, and I would have a big target on my back,” Mr. Space said. “But even knowing all that, I’ve been surprised by the tempo of the political attacks.”

Mr. Space said he never bothered taking down his campaign Web site. Within weeks of being sworn in, he was told by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that he was expected to raise $600,000 by June 30, said Ryan Rudominer, a spokesman for the committee. Mr. Space held his first fund-raiser as a congressman at a Washington hotel on Feb. 28. By the end of June, he had raised $542,363, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

“This is a new extension of the movement toward a permanent campaign,” said Morris P. Fiorina, a professor of political science at Stanford University. “There’s no time for Congress to get together and solve problems. Everything becomes a matter of electioneering.”

Mr. Space’s district along the eastern half of the state, includes a swath of farming and coal-mining communities plus the growing exurbs of Akron, Canton, Youngstown and Columbus, while skirting every Democratic urban stronghold. Challengers must raise enough money to buy television advertisements in six media markets.

“This district was safe for any Republican incumbent that wasn’t going to jail,” said Dr. Cohen of the University of Akron.

Mr. Space has shown an acute awareness of his vulnerability. He voted with Republicans 14 percent of the time, more than all but 10 other House Democrats, according to an analysis in June by Congressional Quarterly.

Before running for Congress, Mr. Space was the city attorney, an elected position, for Dover, Ohio. He also owned a law firm with his father, Socrates Space, who for many years was chairman of the Tuscarawas County Democratic Party.

With no farming experience, but elected to represent a rural district, Mr. Space won a seat on the House Agriculture Committee. One of his first official acts was to conduct a “listening tour,” visiting seven towns in two days to hear constituents’ concerns about the coming farm bill.

At the Muskingum County Fair, Mr. Space gave an update on the farm bill. Most farmers in attendance described themselves as Republicans, and all of those interviewed said they supported Mr. Space.

“I know a few people around these parts,” said Darrel Cubbison, 70, a Republican who has been president of the fair board since 1978. “And the general consensus is that Zack Space is doing a darn good job.”

Local Republican leaders acknowledge that it is difficult mounting a campaign against someone so new to office.

“Usually you give a guy time to establish himself,” said Bill Moody, chairman of the Knox County Republican Party. “It’s hard to know what kind of congressman he’ll be. He’s only been in there a few months.”

A version of this article appears in print on , on page A18 of the New York edition with the headline: G.O.P. Zeroes In on a Democrat It Sees as a Fluke Winner. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe